Bike Forums - Has Bicycle Touring Become Boring?

Bike Forums (https://www.bikeforums.net/forum.php)

- Touring (https://www.bikeforums.net/touring/)

- - Has Bicycle Touring Become Boring? (https://www.bikeforums.net/touring/523093-has-bicycle-touring-become-boring.html)

Seattle to Miami in 32 Days

Here is a link to someone cycling from Seattle to Miami in only 32 days!

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=212604

Harry On His Bike - Seattle to Miami Fall 2000

Here is Harry on his Bike, Seattle to Miami, Fall 2000:

http://www.mikebentley.com/bike/harry/

What a weird thread . . . good, but weird.

When measured against the heroic exploits of the likes of Sir Edmund Hillary, a 500 mile unsupported tour does seem a bit like child's play. But, for (s)he who rides the tour, it is a fantastic accomplishment. My writing probably does not entertain more than a handful of persons (my wife and kids among them), but it's a great way for me to remember the fun I had. If someone else reads what I write and likes it, all the better. But, I am my true target audience.

Quote:

Originally Posted by buzzman (Post 8579554)

People have been being born, having their first day of school, falling in love, having weddings, having children, having funerals for thousands of years. Each one is it's own unique story.

The sun rises every morning and sets every night. It's been doing it every day I've been on the planet. I'm not bored yet. It's all a matter of perspective. Anyone who finds bike touring boring might find life itself boring- maybe it's why so many people are on prescription drugs for their mood- they've lost the capacity to imagine each day being remade anew.:(

Buzzman, I like your view of life. :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by vja4Him (Post 8579918)

I really enjoy reading stories of people riding their bicycles around different places. I cannot ride around the world for various reasons, and so I will never be able to experience the various journeys myself.

I am planning on a short tour, from Astoria, Oregon, to the Bay Area in California. That's probably about the longest tour I will be able to do.

One thing about reading stories of other people's travels, is that their stories are inspiring! And get others excited about taking on the challenge of going out for a journey somewhere in the world, whether it be hiking, or bicycling, or even traveling by bus/train.

What really got me interested in bicycle touring was reading Down The Road. At first I never seriously thought that I could do bicycle touring, but I dreamed of what it would be like to get out there on the road, riding my bicycle to strange, far away places, meeting people, camping in the wilderness, jungles, on the beaches, riding over mountains, in the rain .....

Originally, my research about bicycles started with the idea of motorizing my Mongoose Switchback, with a cheap, small (49cc) gas-powered engine. Then I started reading more threads about installing electric motors on bicycles, and seriously considered installing an electric motor on my Electra Townie.

I was already looking at spending around $3,000.00 or more just to motorize my Townie. In the meantime, I continued riding my bicycle(s), reading thousands of messages on over a dozen bicycle forums, and guess what? All this time I've been getting into much better shape, able to ride just a little farther, a little longer, and a little harder ....

When I first entertained the idea of actually using a bicycle for transportation to work, running errands, shopping, I was a bit discouraged, and still drove sometimes, or rode the bus. I even took my mountain bike with me on the bus sometimes, but as time went on, I would often ride my bike home all the way after work.

I began to realized that I could get around better on my bicycle, now that I'm getting into good shape. All this time, I've been reading dozens of stories of people riding their bicycles around the world, enduring hardships, fixing their bikes way out in the middle of nowhere! Boxing their bicycles up, and shipping them to distant lands, then putting their bikes back together, and riding off into the unknown distance .....

And still I'm getting into better shape, enjoying so many real-life, way-cool stories, and finally, I realize, that hey, I don't need to drive anymore! I can actually get around on my bike, haul over $150 worth of groceries, ride to work all the way across town.

So, I'm now car free, able to ride almost 30 miles in about 4-5 hours. I rode over 430 miles last month, and will most likely ride over 500 miles this month, which is a major accomplishment for me, with multiple medical and physical complications, including several life-threatening medical issues.

And I'm still reading the stories, and now plan to actually do a bicycle tour all by myself!! Am I crazy, or is this my destiny? Can I really do this? Should I even attempt a bold feat, like riding the entire Oregon Coast, and another 300-400 miles into California?

I believe that I can make the ride! I've ordered the Surly Long Haul Trucker, and am working on setting goals now. I'm working on training, gathering the necessary gear. Next on my list of goals is to learn how to work on my bike, which seems a bit scary for me! I'm not a mechanic, but maybe, just maybe, I can do this ....

So, as for all the stories .... Keep writing your stories ... The stories are inspiring, and I believe that without the stories I've read, of people, just average people, even some people who like me, didn't know squat about bicycling, or how to fix their own bike. Didn't even know how to properly ride their bike! I may not have started dreaming about travelling myself, on a bicycle! I may not have given up driving. I just might have given up cycling altogether, and still be out of shape, depressed ....

I feel so much better now, sleeping better, eating better, and looking forward to the day that I set out to ride the Pacific Coast .... !!! Thanks to all who have written their story, and have yet to write their story!

vja4Him, you are an inspiration to all. :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrishg (Post 8579979)

see, your problem is, you're too naive. or romantic. it's dumb. biking the oregon coast is no feat. touring most anywhere unsupported is no feat (omg blasphemy.) the last time i did the oregon coast, i was super lazy and woke up at 1, did 30miles or less a day, and smoked weed the whole damn time. perhaps you'd just rather live vicariously through someone else. you need to realize, that anyone can do this ****. and the people that do, they aren't special. it isn't hard. the attention is mostly undeserved. just knock it off, and go ride your bike.

oh, and ps. youre from modesto. do you know kelley from thought riot fame? tell her, she sucks.

And Chrishg, you are a dick. :thumb:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meek (Post 8591947)

And Chrishg, you are a dick. :thumb:

He's been banned.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.p...&postcount=180

Quote:

Originally Posted by El Pelon (Post 8591813)

When measured against the heroic exploits of the likes of Sir Edmund Hillary

Who by the way may or may not have been the first to scale Everest. Hillary had a full support team including co-summiting with a sherpa, Tenzing Norgay, who's name isn't mentioned much. Hillary and Norgay had an agreement never to reveal who was the first to scale Everest.

No question this was a great feat to scale Everest. Nothing to do with bike touring but still a great feat.

I would like add that many of YOU and accounts of tours on sites like CGOB only served to fuel my longing for the adventure! They also helped me have a plesant and prepaired tour by packing list, etc.

For anyone stumbling across this who is thinking of doing a true solo tour. I will assure you I have never had such experences, especially when you are multi days away from home and on your own. Boring it is NOT!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Machka (Post 8591469)

Do any of the cross-US people go at an angle? Maybe from Seattle to Miami?

Last time I came across the states it was Aug/Sept timeframe. The winds were almost entirely out of the SSE. I remember thinking that if I were travelling from Miami to Seattle I could've pretty much coasted the distance.

It's too bad the word "boring" was chosen for the title of the video and for this thread. I think the original video meant to pose the question as to whether touring was now "commonplace" or no longer exotic. The more commonplace it becomes, the smaller the audience will be for readers. But that's not the same as being "boring".

Is bicycle touring boring?...Compaired to what? Watching grass grow?...NO! Watching golf on TV?...NO! Flying Mach 2 in a F-14?...YES! Climbing Half Dome?...YES! Talking about touring,MUCH more boring than actually doing it.

It's as boring as you make it,the same with everything else in life.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigBlueToe (Post 8588223)

I know! The scoundrel! (Why didn't I think of it?)

Evidently, the guy, Darren Alff, has figured out a way to use his hobby to pay for his tours. He's presently touring Switzerland, I think. (Am I jealous?) In my case I have to work for a living all year to pay for my summer tours.

I remember this guy. In 2006 I needed a route from baton rouge to new orleans and found his journal from chicago to new orleans on cgoab. I had emailed him about it and he got back to me very quick and was very enthusiactic about helping. A few months later I got an email from him about setting up a website about bike touring due to all the questions he had gotten. He definitely knows how to get paid, at least be put up free. He was able to get all his hotels on his chicago-new orleans tour (his first tour) for free in advance by telling them he would list their contributions on his website of his trip. good guy none-the-less, just really likes touring.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Booger1 (Post 8597421)

Is bicycle touring boring?

I find fishing to be boring as all get out. But would I go into a fishing forum and tell them it's boring???

I enjoy listening to shortwave radio. A lot would find that to be boring.

Or there's the in between... some days bicycling touring can be boring, no question, and some days touring are very rewarding....

What might be boring to someone is not to someone else..... I don't worry about what others think (of course the hypocrisy is I've added to this thread)

The way I see things is...cycle touring is not about the destination, and it's not about the route. Though these two things are a huge carrot, so to speak.

It's about the people you meet, and the things you learn about yourself. And these two things can be extremely hard to explain to the non-cyclist. Either by written word, or by word of mouth.

Cycle touring imparts learning opportunities that one might not normally encounter during the course of one's life. You're definitely taking a road less travelled. Even though there are visibly, many more cyclists experiencing, and living, and learning.

Cycle touring is also a personal thing, so it doesn't really matter how many other people are doing it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kyakdiver (Post 8583113)

I don't ride to raise money or write a book. I'm not breaking any new frontier that would be worth writing about anyways....

I ride for the experience and the memories........ yep....

Everyone has a story to tell. Your experiences are worth writing about, even if you're not doing anything on the cutting edge.

You as a cycle tourist are embarking on something most people wouldn't try. You can write about how a rainstorm feels on a mountain pass, or the way a headwind in the Prairies can demoralize you, or how the salt air off the coast will feel or how good it feels to shower after a long day on the road. You can write about getting your fifth flat tire of the day in desert heat, or stopping for a rest in a small town park, under a shady tree. Writing about your experiences will help to preserve them.

If you're cycling in a foreign culture — even if it's a different culture within your own country — your perceptions and observations are worth writing down. Describe how the food tasted, or how the hotel room smelled, or the sounds you heard as a city came to life in the early morning hours.

On my last tour, two weeks in central Cuba, I filled close to 200 pages with my observations and thoughts. Even when I'm cycling closer to home, in areas familiar to me, I'll often return from a week-long trip with at least 50 pages of notes.

Some of my notes are for me only but other portions may eventually be posted for others to read, once I have time to sort through them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Machka (Post 8591469)

Do any of the cross-US people go at an angle? Maybe from Seattle to Miami?

I went San Diego to New York. If you make your own route as direct as possible it can be done in a little over a month.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vja4Him (Post 8579994)

I know that riding the Pacific Coast from Astoria, Oregon, to the Bay Area in California IS A MAJOR ACCOMPLISH FOR ME ... !!!

I think that's the thing right there - its a major accomplishment for YOU!! And that's what counts! Yes, you are right that others can/have ridden that route no problem, but who cares? If it's a challenge for you and you think you can do it - do it! And you'll feel better than you ever have in your life!

I remember back to my first ever tour - one hundred miles from home to a dam and then back. Looking back on it now, I realize it was a total joke of a tour and certainly nothing to brag about - but dayum, was I proud when I did it?!?! I thought I had conquered the world! And you know what? I did conquer the world on the that trip - because that trip showed me that I could DO IT!! I could ride my bike 200 miles! If I could ride 200, then I could ride 2000. And if I could do that, then I could ride 20,000.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nancy sv (Post 8602794)

...because that trip showed me that I could DO IT!!

That is exactly it. Doing a trip teaches you that you can accomplish your goals, be it large or small.

Cycle touring rocks!

vja4Him - When you do your tour, please post your ride diary. I'm hoping to do the same trip, so I would like to read about what you've learned...even if you're not in line for a Pulitzer prize.

Anybody ever see that episode of Twilight Zone where the punk kid is stuck for eternity in a room with an elderly couple that is going through their vacation slides? He's in hell, they're in heaven and they're all in the same room. This thread kinda reminds me of that.

and now back to you Mr. Serling......

I'm curious as to what people want to read in a trip diary. Do you want to know what I experienced and felt along the way? Do you want to know about distances, winds, hills and weather conditions? Do you want a few comments about the good (and not-so-good) places to stop for a meal, a coffee break or a night's sleep along the way?

I'm personally interested in reading about someone's experiences and observations, with just enough statistical and geographic details so I know what to expect if I follow the route. Is this what others want to read?

I'm especially interested in the sites, like museums, historical sites (like the end of the Lewis & Clark Trail), lighthouses, old shipwrecks, good hiker-biker campsites, interesting and strange rock formations, like Haystack Rock and the Needles, caves.

Also, I'm interesting in experiences, both good and bad, that cyclists have had with certain equipment, like camping stoves, tents, and tips for the road.

I won't be staying in motels very often, or eating in restaurants much. But I would like to know about the cheaper places to spend a night, just in case, and restaurants with good food.

I enjoy reading about experiences cyclists have with people along their journey, especially the unusual, like when a cyclist is riding in the jungle, or wilderness, far from towns, and they meet interesting people, or endure unusual circumstances, like when somebody starts throwing melons at them from a high cliff! And they are racing as fast as they can to get away! Or when they encounter thieves messing around with their bicycle, trying to steal their stuff, and they manage to escape!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Newspaperguy (Post 8615376)

Touring the Pacific Coast ....

Quote:

Originally Posted by TCXNomad (Post 8615245)

When are you planning your tour of the Pacific Coast?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Newspaperguy (Post 8615376)

I want to know what the road conditions are like (shoulders, no shoulders, traffic density, road surface, etc.), and what the terrain is like (hilly, what kind of hills, flat, etc.) , and what the weather conditions are like. Statistical and geographical details are one of the main things I like. And I will and have taken photos of roads to show you what they look like. :D

Then I want to know about the interesting things along the way ... museums, viewpoints, different architecture ... what makes this particular town special or different than other towns. What things should I be sure to see. I like reading about the history, the geology, and things like that about an area. And this is a good place to take and include photos.

And I like the encounters with people ... especially the good and interesting stories. Talk about the 90-year old guy who came up while you're eating lunch and told you tales of his touring expeditions back in the early 1900s. Talk about the group of daycare children who waved at you from the window of the old building in Belgium while you took a short break. Things like that.

And info about places to get food and stay for the night etc. if it is particularly challenging to find a place to get food or to stay, or if there is a particularly good place to get food or stay for the night.

And then stories ... if you've got a particularly good story to tell, those are interesting.

I have finally gotten around to starting a rough draft about my travels last year. Could you give me any feedback, more or less details/pictures? Too much text? I have much more to write still.

http://cyclingnorthamerica.blogspot.com/

Thanks Machka and vja4Him. I'm planning to put some of my tour experiences on the web. I make it a point to keep detailed notes in my journals about the things I've been seeing and the people I've met along the way. I also record my stats for the day but I doubt if there are too many people who care that I rode 115.83 kilometres one day or that I reached a maximum speed of 55.1 kilometres an hour. That's why I'll be shortening my notes considerably before I post anything.

I seldom stop at museums or tourist attractions when I'm cycling but I will make a point to describe how a town feels, how it looks, how it smells.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan The Man (Post 8626165)

I just starting reading your bicycle journal. So far looks good .... So how do you like the hammock? Do you ride far in flip-flops? I've tried that around town, but down feel secure. I am going to start wearing sandals though ... My feet swell really bad.

- Riding 4 Life
http://vj4him.blogspot.com/